1) Field of the Invention
The present invention is a device mounted on a sawmill carriage that enables an operator to turn a log carried by the sawmill carriage.
2) Background Information
Sawmills turn a log carried by a sawmill carriage by a log turner that is at a fixed location, apart from the sawmill carriage itself. This means an operator must return the sawmill carriage to the log turner to turn the log. Loading and turning logs on the sawmill carriage is done at one end of the sawmill, with the sawmill carriage transporting the log to the other end of the sawmill, where a stationary saw is cutting the log into boards as the sawmill carriage moves the log past the blade. To optimize the amount of usable boards from a given log, it is necessary to turn the log periodically. I wasn't satisfied with how my exisiting log turner worked or with its location. The operator needs to be near the saw blade to see what he is doing. When logs are and turned at the other end of the sawmill, away from the operator's station, it is more difficult for the operator to determine if the logs are correctly turned. By coming up with a simple sawmill carriage log turner, the operator doesn't have to return the sawmill carriage to a separate log turning station, and then lose more time trying to properly turn the log, and then return the sawmill carriage to the sawblade. To avoid this waste of time, I invented a device to turn a log, said device can be fixed to and carried by a sawmill carriage. My device is such a time saving convenience in the operation of a sawmill, that I am sure that it was out there, it would be in widespread usage in sawmills throughout the country.